Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-08-05

I
crop is not quite so heavy by this plan.
but its deficiency is more than made up
by subsequent growth.
TREES AROUND DWELLINGS
A tall tree near a dwelling or barn is
is an efficient protector against light
ming. IL not only saves the expense OF
putting up lightn ng rods. but is vastly
better. The iron rod is liable to have
its connect on with the moist earth
broken off, making it simply an attrac-
tor of lightning with no power of ward
ing off its destructive effects. The tree
so long as it stands must have its roots
deeply in the earth, and in most cases
ordinary strokes of lightning will pass
down it without leaving any mark. 1t
is rare that the lightning rends living
trees full of sap; but in exposed places
the electric fluid may often be conduct
ed bv them To the earth. Thus an ele-
waited tree near a building may often
save it aud the fact be never suspected.
ENCOURAGING WHITE CLOVER
Considering the value of white clover
for pasture it is rather surprising that
it. They rarely. if ever, SOW white
clover seed with their grain, but it is
such persistent plant that il will come
wherever the grasses are pastured SO
as TO give it a chance. IL seeds freely
when close cropped, but it is slow
work gathering the seed. If allowed to
grow it will thoroughly seed the land
for many years. The greatest danger
TO permanence of white clover is from
seeding so heavily with red clover
that the smaller plant will be smoth-
cred out. We have learned to sow
more clover seed than formerly, and
the danger of thereby destroying white
clover may tend to modify this prac-
tice to some extent. We cannot well
afford to loss white clover.
REMOVING OLD STONE WALLS.
When farmer first builds stone
wall fence he is apt to congratulate
himself that he has something that will
last forever True enough this is so
far as the material is concerned. but
when he considers the labor and ex-
pense of keeping it in condition as a
fence, the farmer is liable to change
his mind and wish il were not so dur
able. The old wall becomes a harbor
for every kind of weed. Roots of thistles
run under it and find places between
the stones to send up leaves. and thus
get breathing place when the ground
out side is thoroughly cultivated to re-
press every sign of their growth. At last,
if the farmer is determined to make
thorough work of killing thistles or
quack grass, the stone wall must be got
out of the way. He will be fortunate +
he can use these stones as easements for
barns or in unnderdrains. In either
of these places stones serve useful
purpose; but many times as fence
they are more of n nuisance than an
advantage.
LEARNING TO RUN AN ENGINE
A large and increas ng share of the
worlds work is done by steam, and If
this is ever changed it will be by the
substitution of electricity or some other
motive power, requiring the use Of a
complicated engine. To learn to man
age steam engine is, therefore, an
accomplishment sure to become more
and more valuable to any man as the
years roll by. No one can blame a
young man for trying to acquire it, and
if the boy on the farm takes naturally
to the engine when il comes round ut
thrashing time let him be encouraged
rather than be laughed at. 1t may
possibly become necessary sometime
for every farmer to have n steam OF
other engine, and if not. the boy who
has learned to be handy in managing
engines has a pretty fair business
,, learned should he be thrown unex-
pectedly on his own resources. Many
a Young man has made a better fight
! with the world through knowing about
machines than he could without
this with a college education thrown
in.
MULES FOR HARD RIO ADS.
As the roads b ecome harder anC
frmer. especially in cities, mules are
tax ne the preference of horses in To-
calit es for team work. There is con-
siderable prejudice against them. but a
mules foot is his strong point, and
that is where the horse on city stone
pavements soonest gives out. On the
!, other hand they are not well adapted
: to working on soft land. They are
good for blowing. but when it comes
TO dragging over the loosened soil the